Cylindrical lock case



July 23; 1957 R. w. SCHMID CYLINDRICAL LOCK CASE *2 Sheets$heet 1 FiledFeb. e, 1955 40. leg as 0 F INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY July 23,, 1957 R. w. SCHMID CYLINDRICAL LOCK CASE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 8, 1955 v INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY 2,800,351 Patented July 23, 1 957 CYLINDRICAL LOCK CASE RaymondW. Schmid, Havertown, Pa., assignor to The Yale & Towne ManufacturingCompany, Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut ApplicationFebruary 8, 1955, Serial No. 486,369

3 Claims. (Cl. 292-337) This invention relates to cylindrical locks, andmore particularly to a cylindrical lock case.

Cylindrical lock cases present a very considerable problem infabrication. Thus, they require the utilization of bearing sleeves andbearing plates, together with a retractor that must be held for movementin a particular path. As a feature of my invention, I contribute acylindrical lock case that may be fabricated from simple parts andassembled so as to form a rigid casing. This assembly to form a rigidcasing is effected through the relationship of the parts and the mannerin which they are assembled to one another rather than through assemblymeans such as rivets, screws, bolts, welding or the like.

As a feature of my invention, I utilize a series of four interlockingplates that between them form four bearings for the retractor of mylock, the plates being interlocked relatively to one another, so thatwhen encompassed by an outer housing that coacts with certain surfacesof the plates, the resulting assembly is rigid, even when subjected tothe stresses of operation.

As a further feature of my invention, the bearing sleeves required inassemblies of the particular art, are assembled relatively to the fourbearing plates just described, and are held together with those bearingplates by an outer housing. I am able to effect in this manner thecomplete assembly of the necessary bearing plates for forming the fourway bearing for the retractor, together with the further assembly of thenecessary bearing sleeves, all in an extremely simple and effectivemanner. Preferably, the only assembly means are lugs bent over intoholding position and carried by the outer housing, all of the partsbeing otherwise held in assembled relation through portions that arereadily moved without tools into assembled engagement with one another.

I have thus outlined rather broadly the more important features of myinvention in order that the detailed description thereof that followsmay be better understood, and in order that my contribution to the artmay be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features ofmy invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form thesubject of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that the conception on which my disclosure is based mayreadily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures forcarrying out the several purposes of my invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions as do not depart from the spirit and scope of myinvention, in order to prevent the appropriation of my invention bythose skilled in the art.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section showing my novel lock case assembled ina cylindrical lock.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of a part of the case taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view showing parts of the lock.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawings, I show mynovel cylindrical lock case constructed in a preferred form and utilizedwith a lock mechanism quite similar to that shown in the application ofDaniel L. Biblin, Serial No. 314,704, filed October 14, 1952, now PatentNo. 2,751,243. This lock mechanism includes a bolt retractor 10 that hasa generally rectangular shape with top, bottom, and side walls, 11, 12,13, 14, on which the retractor slides in the lock case. The boltretractor It) has vertical flanges 15, 16 extending inwardly from itsopposed side walls 13, 14, and has at its front end opposed parts 17,best shown in Figs. 2 and 4, that are adapted to interlock with a latchbolt, as in the abovementioned Biblin application. Retractor tubes 18,19, Fig. 1, rotate on opposed sides of the lock case, these tubes havingat their inner ends cam portions 20, 21 that coact with the verticalflanges 15, 16 on the retractor. Knobs 22, 23 are attached to the outerends of the retractor tubes 18, 19 for rotating the tubes. Each tubewhen rotated acts through its cam portion 20 or 21 to slide the boltretractor 10 rearwardly in the lock case, thus retracting the latchbolt, as will be understood. I indicate in Fig. 2 springs 24 that areengaged between parts of the lock case and the retractor flanges 15, 16,to press the retractor 1t) forwardly toward a position corresponding tothe thrown position of the latch bolt. Further details of the lockoperating mechanism are not important to an understanding of myinvention. It is necessary to realize principally that, in locks of thisclass, the lock case holds the bolt retractor for movement in a linearpath, while holding the retractor tubes for rotation in a particularaxis.

In the extremely novel lock case that I contribute by my invention, Iutilize as the outer part of the case a F cup-like member 25 that isadapted to be inserted in the opening A in the door D, as shown inFig. 1. I utilize also a pair of base plates 26 that are formed with agenerally circular outline, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 4, whereby tofit vertically within the cup-like member 25. These base plates 26 actas bearings for the opposed sides 13, 14 of the bolt retractor 10, aswill be described in due course. Portions of each base plate 26 are cutaway within their circular outline to form upper and lower pairs ofhorizontal seating surfaces 27, with these seating surfaces spaced toleave upper and lower lugs 28. Each base plate is cut away also at itsfront edge to form a clearance notch 29. The base plates 26 whenassembled support the inner ends of the retractor tubes 18, 19 forrotation, and for the particular purpose each plate 26 has a centralbearing opening 30. It may be observed here that I show on eachretractor tube 18, 19, a pair of lugs 39a, Fig. 1, that are adapted tolie at opposed sides of a base plate 26 to hold the tube assembled tothe plate. A notch 30b in each bearing opening 30, Fig. 4, permits oneof the lugs 30a to move past the plate 26 in a particular rotatedposition so that the retractor tube can be assembled to the plate.

I utilize in addition a pair of upper and lower assembly plates 31 thatcoact in a very novel Way with the base plates 26 and cup-like member25. These assembly plates 31 are formed with parallel slots 32, bestseen in Fig. 4, and are adapted to lie against the seating surfaces 27on base plates 26, as in Figs. 1 and 2, with the base plate lugs 28positioned in the slots 32. Further, each assembly plate 31 has parallelfront and rear edges 33, 34 that I prefer to form on shallow lugs on themain portion of the plate. These edges 33, 34 are arranged particularlyto lie in juxtaposed relation to the inner surface of the cup-likemember 25 when the base plates 26 and assembly plates 31 together areinserted in the member 25, as in Fig. 2. Through this arrangement, it ispossible for the cup-like member 25 to hold the assembly plates 31against the seating surfaces 27 and, therefore, in spaced parallelrelation to one another. It may be observed at this point that I form onthe rear edge of each assembly plate 31 an angular flange 36 that actsas a seat for one of the retractor springs 24.

As further means for holding the assembly plates 31, I form the end wallof the cup-like member 25 with horizontal slots 35, best seen in Fig. 3,these slots being so arranged as to receive an edge portion of eachassembly plate 31. Through this arrangement, the cuplike member 25 canhold the base plates 26 and assembly plates 31 not only in assembledrelation to one another, but also against rotation relatively to thecup-like member 25.

I equip my novel lock case with a pair of bearing sleeves 37, 38 forsupporting the outer ends of the retractor tubes 18, 19. Each of thesebearing sleeves 37 and 38 is formed at its'inner end with a flange 39',

this flange having a shape substantially like that of the base plates26. Thus, each of the sleeve flanges 39 has top and bottom lugs 40, anda notch 41 at its front side. Whenassembled, each bearing sleeve 37, 38is positioned with its flange 39 against the outer surface of a baseplate 26, and with its lugs 40 inserted together with the lugs 28 on thebase plates into the slots 32 in the assembly plates 31. Thebearingsleeve 38 extends outwardly through an opening a in the end ofthe cuplike member 25, and the flange 39 on this sleeve is then seatedagainst the inner surface of the member 25, as well shown in Fig. l. Theopposed end of cuplike member 25 has a series of lugs 42, Fig. 4, thatare adapted to be bent inwardly against the flange 39 on the bearingsleeve 37, as in Fig. 1. When the bearing sleeves 37, 38, base plates26, and assembly plates 31 are thus assembled in the cup-like member 25between the lugs 42 and the end wall of cup-like member 25:, thesesleeves and plates form with the cup-like member an extremely rigid lockcase. The inner surfaces of the base plates 26 and assembly plates 31then form a rigid bearing for the four sides of the bolt retractor 10,and hold the retractor for linear sliding on the lock case.

. To enable the lock case to be assembled to a latchbolt in the door, asis usual in locks of the particular class, I form the front portion ofthe cup-like member 25 with an opening 48 extending through a part ofthe end wall of the member, as well shown in Fig. 4. This opening 48 isaligned relatively to the notches 29 and 41 in the plates 26 and bearingsleeve flanges 39, so that the latchbolt and the front end parts 17 onretractor 10 can move into interlocking relation with one another.

' Conventional roses are carried by rose supports 43, 44 and forsimplifying the showing, these are eliminated from the drawings; Therose supports are also conventional. Rose support 43 is at the outerside of the door and is mounted on the outside bearing sleeve 37 throughscrew threads 47 that enable this rose support to be adjusted in anaxial direction on the lock case. To assemble the inside rose support 44to the lock case, I utilize screws 46, that are engaged in threadedopenings 45 in the upper and lower lugs 28 on one of the bearing plates26.

I believe that those persons skilled in the art will now understand theconstruction and the particular advantages of the extremely novelcylindrical lock case that I contribute by my invention. My novel lockcase is very simple and easy to assemble, and does not require for itsassembly riveted or welded parts or screws. Merely through theutilization of interlocking parts, I am able to provide an extremelyrigid lock case that has a fourway bearing for the bolt retractor, andthat holds the retractor tubes firmly in properly aligned relation tothe bolt retractor. I believe, therefore, that the very considerablevalue of my invention will be fully appreciated.

I now claim:

1. In a combination of the class described, a pair of base plates, upperand lower assembly plates, said upper and lower assembly plates formedwith slots for the entry of parts of both said base plates whereby saidassembly plates when moved against the base plates are assembled inpredetermined spaced parallel relation and hold said base plates inpredetermined spaced relation, said plates by their assembly adapted forhousing a sliding retractor that slides between the inner surfaces ofsaid base plates and also between the inner surfaces of said upper andlower assembly plates, a pair of retractor tubes, opposed bearingsleeves on which the retractor tubes rotate, said bearing sleeves havingeach a flange adapted to lie against the outer surface of a base plate,lugs on each of said flanges lying in juxtaposed relation to the partsof said base plates and entering said slots with said parts whereby toassemble said bearing sleeves to said base plates and assembly plates, amember fitted about and encompassing said flanges and plates, and meansholding said member assembled to said bearing sleeves and plates.

2. In a lock of the, class described, a pair of base plates, each baseplate formed on upper and lower edges thereof with lugs and seatingsurfaces juxtaposed to said lugs, upper and lower assembly plates,opposed edge portions on each upper and lower assembly plate formed withclosed slots for corresponding lugs on the upper and lower edges of bothbase plates, said slots accepting the lugs through movement of theassembly plates in opposed directions toward the seating surfaces on theupper and lower edges of both base plates, a member acting against bothassembly plates to hold said plates in seated position on the seatingsurfaces of the base plates with said opposed edge portions of theassembly plates encompassing the base plate lugs, and said member by soholding the assembly plates securing those plates in predeterminedspaced parallel relation for housing a sliding retractor between thebase plates and assembly plates.

3. In a lock of the class described, a pair of base plates, each baseplate formed on upper and lower edges thereof with lugs and seatingsurfaces juxtaposed to said lugs, each base plate having a bearingopening for the inner end of a retractor tube, opposed bearing sleevesfor supporting the outer ends of the retractor tubes, a flange on eachbearing sleeve adapted tolie against a side of a base plate, lugs formedon eachof said flanges to lie against the lugs of the corresponding baseplate in aligned relation thereto, upper and lower assembly plates,opposed edge portions on each upper and lower assembly plate formed withclosed slots, said slots accepting the base plate lugs and bearingsleeve lugs through movement of the assembly plates in opposeddirections toward the seating surfaces on the upper and lower edges ofboth base plates, a member acting against both assembly plates to holdsaid plates in seated position on the seating surfaces of the baseplates with each of said assembly plate edge portions encompassing abase plate lug and a bearing sleeve lug, and said member by so holdingthe assembly plates rigidly securing the bearing sleeves and base platesin predetermined relation to one another and to the assembly plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS BiblinJune 19, 1956

